Federal Courthouse Being Evacuated

BOSTON, MA --

Editor's note: The day of the incident was corrected on Wednesday at 3:24 p.m.

UPDATE 4:29 P.M.

A media briefing scheduled for 5 p.m. on the marathon bombings has been postponed due to today's events at the courthouse, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman. No new time given yet.

UPDATE 4:21 P.M.

Fire trucks are now leaving the scene, Patch editor Bret Silverberg reports.

UPDATE 4:15 P.M.

While the courthouse will close for the day, employees are being told they can return to courthouse, Silverberg reports. Officials are checking IDs of employees being let back into the building.

UPDATE 4:09 P.M.

The courthouse is closed for the day, a Boston Police officer told Silverberg on the scene. 

Homeland Security officers and U.S. Marshals are at the courthouse and officials are at least 30 yards from the media, Silverberg reports.

WCVB reporter Kathy Curran reports on Twitter that the U.S. Marshals Office said the courthouse is being swept as a result of a bomb threat.

UPDATE 3:28 P.M.

WBZ is reporting that a bomb threat was called into the courthouse.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: 

The federal courthouse on the South Boston waterfront was being evacuated on Wednesday afternoon after a "Code Red" was announced at the building.

Reporters and civilians had gathered at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse at the time of the evacuation after conflicting reports of a possible arrest in the Boston Marathon bombings, later denied by Boston Police, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Unconfirmed police scanner transmissions stated a possible bomb threat had been made at the courthouse.

Patch editor Bret Silverberg, on scene at the courthouse, reported seeing a police dog sniffing a vehicle parked directly in front of the building.

Check back for further updates as they become available.